In the context of the complex of the Imperial forums in Rome, the Forum of Augustus stands out for its beauty and meanings. It can be simply considered a sort of ancient marble political manifesto, something that today could be understood with fantasy and patiente. Follow me and you will understand what Augustus would like to claim to his citizens...

The Forum of Augustus included a square fully paved in marble and it was flanked on its long sides by a row of columns, while on one of the short sides stood on his huge podium of 3.5 metres, the Temple of Mars Ultor. It had two large exedras of semi-circular opening along the long sides, the walls of which were punctuated by deep niches happy statues and sculptural groups in marble. The whole square was, therefore about 125 metres in length and wide, also considering the exedras, 118 metres. Something huge and blazing, with the floors, the walls and the reliefs of the Temple of Mars Ultor which were completely polychrome, and then colored. A public area, where all the Romans had the chance to go day and a night used to clear for propaganda purposes.

First of all, to say as the site construction of Forum of Augustus saw the light at the 27 b.C., when the Senate granted Augustus the title of princeps and imperator, ushering in the Empire. The first emperor of Rome wanted to impress his policy in a return to the ethical and moral values that characterized the Republic, and, in particular, also on the other aspects that the Romans, after a series of civil wars, maybe they had forgotten: peace and stability. They are political values expressed in the Forum of Augustus, starting from the Temple of Mars Ultor ("the Avenger"), promised by Augustus to the people of Rome already in the 42 to b.C., as a warning to those conspirators who had the audacity to kill Julius Caesar. The Temple of Mars Ultor was also used by the governments who, ready to leave for the Provinces of the Empire, swore loyalty to Rome. The temple was reached by a stairway consisting of 17 steps in marble, and the pediment had friezes with Mars in the center leaning on a spear, Venus his wife and Eros next with, especially, the presence of Romulus (the first King and founder of Rome, according to the traditions), intent on taking the auspices. Completed the decoration of the personifications of the Tiber and the Palatine, as well as the presence of the Goddess Roma and the Goddess of Fortune.

All had to contribute, therefore, to give the idea that the Eternal City would have lived for a long time, a period of great splendor, a time when the roman legionnaires would fight for the homeland and the Empire, the subjugation of all other peoples, and without the internecine wars break the peace. A curious fact about the great wall made of tuff and peperino stones (still visible today) at the background. The 30 meter high wall was used to defend the area of the Forum from the Suburra, which developed behind the wall. The latter was the district perhaps the most infamous of all of Rome, and, above all, was often subject to fires. So Augustus wanted to protect his creation making visible the division between the old Rome and the new one that the first emperor of Rome was working on.

But Augustus, of course, with this Forum wanted to celebrate itself and its origins. And, behold, among the statues that adorned the outside walls of the lateral exedras there was a statue that depicted Romulus, in an ideal red wire that connected directly to the reign of Augustus as a new founder of a prosperous and renewed Rome. This statue, on one of the two exedras, was surrounded by other sculptores which depicted important men of the Republic (the summi viri). On the other side there was a statue that represented Aeneas, who, according to the propaganda would by Augustus, was the progenitor of the family of Augustus and of his illustrious relative, Caesar. So it is not hard to understand why around Aeneas there were statues which displayed members of the Iulia family, the Augustus' one. But then, just to not make mistakes, also worthy of mention is the huge bronze equestrian statue which stood at the centre of the Forum, with the statuesque figure of Augustus, which stood in all its strength. An Augustus who was capable to conquer new lands and lead Rome into a bright future, but a man who wouldn't like to display himself as a sort of king having all the powers on his hands linking himself to the Gods (like Caesar did in his forum, and click here to know more), but like a man who respected the traditions. A man who, of course, was also more than an ordinary human being...